{Food} Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake via One Hungry Mama

Growing up Italian, I’ve always eaten ricotta cheese, but I’ve discovered that not everyone loves it as much as I do. However, baking with ricotta is amazing because it adds moisture to a cake and lightens it up without changing the flavor.

If you’re looking for a nice treat this weekend, try out this Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake recipe from One Hungry Mama’s blog. You could also try it by replacing the lemon with orange or even almond extract for a new twist

{Food} Apple Cake

I know that apples are best in the fall, but I had been craving apple cake recently. A few weeks ago I made an apple cake that turned out light and airy – perfect served alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature (not melted)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 7 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced (I used Gala apples)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• a few pinches of sugar for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 9×13 pan.
3. Mix together sugar and butter until smooth.
4. Add vanilla and eggs. Stir well.
5. Gently stir in apples.
6. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
7. Add half of flour mixture to apple mixture. Stir until mixed throughout. Add rest of flour and stir well.
8. Pour batter into 9×13 pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle sugar on top.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cake will be golden and starting to pull away from edges of pan.
10. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

{Food} Molten Chocolate Cakes

molten chocolate cake photo via Tasty Kitchen

If you are looking for a chocolatey addition to your weekend, these molten chocolate cakes (also known as lava cakes) from TastyKitchen.com are magical. Baked in custard cups or ramekins to be cakey on the outside and melty on the inside, they are individually served with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

{Food} Valentine’s Day Meals

mini ombre valentine’s day cake photo via IWashYouDry.com

Whether you are cooking for your partner, your family, or a dinner party, we want to make sure you have plenty of delicious options for next Friday’s Valentine’s Day meal. Choose one item from each category below – we’ve chosen recipes that complement each other’s flavors well.

Salads

• Caesar Salad
• Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Salad
• Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Main Dishes

• Crispy Garlic and Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pies
• Caprese Quinoa Cakes

Side Dishes

• Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar
• Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
• Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme

Desserts

• Berry Tarts
• Caramel Cake, served in jars
• Mini Ombre Valentine’s Day Cake

{Food Friday} Halloween Treats

Cake Eyeballs photo via FoodNetwork.com

• Cake Eyeballs – This recipe via The Pioneer Woman uses boxed cake mix, letting you focus your energy on decorating. White candy melts can be found at a craft store like Michael’s.

• Spiced Pumpkin Raisin Cookies – These simple cookies via Giada de Laurentiis use canned pumpkin puree so they are very moist. Replace the raisins with chocolate chips if you like (and don’t worry too much about the raw sugar; regular sugar will work fine in a pinch).

• Gingerbread Skeletons – Such a cute idea via Spoonful.com. I really enjoy gingerbread and this is a great excuse to make it in the fall; the icing decoration turns it into a Halloween themed treat.